Thursday, March 24, 2011

Caring for the Antique Horses on King Arthur Carrousel

The preservation of the King Arthur Carrousel horses – each of which is a genuine antique, older than Disneyland itself – involves pulling horses off the Carrousel, replacing them with “alternates,” repairing them, sanding them, refinishing them and repainting them. It’s why they always look “new,” even though they’re decades old. Not only are they antiques, they’re probably among the most well-maintained antiques in the world, considering they have guests bouncing up and down on them for hours a day, every day of the year.

You might be surprised to learn that….

The original fleet of horses came from Canada.

All the Carrousel horses are made of wood.

There is one cast member whose sole responsibility is to take care of all 85 horses.

There are 72 horses on King Arthur Carrousel at a time.

Horses are rotated whenever they need maintenance.

In 2008 Jingles, a very special horse, was redesigned and decorated in the theme of “Mary Poppins” as a dedication to actress Julie Andrews.

A Disneyland Resort cast member, Rick Temple, tells us how King Arthur Carrousel is more than just an attraction – it’s a piece of history that he’s happy to preserve.